Will file a design patent application on the food plate shown in FIG. 11; this food plate is not a part of the present invention.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to articles of manufacture intended to support a food plate and a beverage container, more particularly to disposable support fixtures fabricated from corrugated fiberboard that are suited to be held by one hand.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
A number of situations exist where food and beverages are served but where there are no tables or flat surfaces nearby suitable for resting a food plate and a beverage container. A few examples are picnics, fairs, festivals, athletic events, car shows, and walk-up or drive-up fast food establishments. If one is standing up while eating a kind of food that is normally only served on a plate, one will find it awkward to hold both a plate and a beverage container during the process.
A number of patents have issued disclosing various means for overcoming this problem. Most have focused on the plate or on the plate and beverage container combination. Following are a few examples of such disclosures.
Four U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,058,737 (1991), 5,176,283 (1993), 5,240,136 (1993), and 5,292,028 (1994), all to Patterson et al., disclose means to suspend a beverage container underneath a food plate. The first three show a progression of plates with underside fitments of various types disposed to accept beverage containers having corresponding upper edges. The fourth (the ""028) discloses a holder (which surrounds the edge of a plate) that suspends a beverage container underneath a plate by similar means. It appears that the plate or the holder is the object intended to be gripped by one hand. It does not appear that the holder disclosed is intended to be inexpensive or disposable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,820 (1991) to Boerner discloses members attached to and descending from the bottom of a plate which fit over the top of a beverage container situated underneath the plate, thereby allowing a user to grasp both the beverage container and the plate members with one hand. Provided the food is evenly distributed on the plate it seems useful for the task of holding the plate and beverage container together in one hand, but it appears it might be awkward to engage, disengage, and then engage once again a nearly full beverage container with a full plate of food.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,700 (1993) to Dumke discloses a plate with a central hole that accepts an interfitting tapered beverage container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,743 (1993) to Costarella et al. discloses another plate with a central hole that accepts a tapered beverage container that has a double curvature to the edge of the hole so that the plate can thereby be grasped by the thumb and fingers and be supported centrally from underneath. Both accept only a certain kind of beverage container, and the latter (""743) appears uncomfortable to hold for more than a short time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,473 (1993) to Coffin, Sr., discloses the use of corrugated fiberboard, both for a beverage container per se and also for an insulating surround for a beverage container. It does not teach the use of corrugated fiberboard for a support fixture, much less the use for a support fixture for both a food plate and a beverage container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a support fixture for supporting a food plate and a beverage container.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture can be naturally and comfortably held in one hand while supporting a food plate and beverage container.
It is another object of the present invention that the hand holding the support fixture can remain in a fixed position (e.g., the beverage container can be removed and replaced without affecting the holding hand).
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture accommodate a variety of beverage containers.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture be light weight.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture be inexpensive.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture be simple and quickly and easily assembled without the need for tape, glue, or staples.
It is another object of the present invention that the unassembled support fixture components take up little space.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture be made of materials commonly and widely available nationwide in large quantities.
It is another object of the present invention that the support fixture be made of materials that are disposable, recyclable and biodegradable.
It is a feature of the support fixture that (except for two identical rubber bands) it is constructed entirely of Domestic (class) uncoated corrugated fiberboard, which itself is made from kraft unbleached paperboard produced from wood fibers.
It is a feature of the support fixture that it is held by gripping a tactilely comfortable corrugated cylindrical stem, in the same natural manner as holding a metal can of beer.
It is a feature of the support fixture that it supports the food plate and beverage container directly above the hand gripping the cylindrical stem; i.e., they are coaxially supported.
It is a feature of the support fixture that it is composed of few parts, all of them being symmetrical, to minimize the possibility of incorrect assembly.
It is an advantage of the support fixture that it weighs merely two ounces.
It is an advantage of the support fixture that a beer or soda pop can (or such other similar cylindrical object) is the only tool one needs for assembly.
It is an advantage of the support fixture that it can support several kinds of beverage containers without needing modifications or additional parts.
It is an advantage of the support fixture that it can be used to support ordinary paper plates, by simply cutting a three inch diameter hole in the center of the paper plate and, if desired, wrapping a paper napkin or waxed paper or other such suitable material around the base of the fixture hub.
In accordance with the above-stated objects, features, and advantages the present invention provides a light-weight, economical, disposable, and practical support fixture that enables a person to conveniently and comfortably hold a food plate and beverage container with only one hand. Being a separate fixture that is neither a part of the food plate nor the beverage container, it enables a person to eat from the food plate or to pick up and drink from the beverage container without affecting the placement of the hand holding the fixture or requiring the performance of some awkward maneuver. The support fixture can support several common kinds of beverage containers without any modifications or additional parts. A hole approximately three inches in diameter is required in the center of the food plate; a common disposable paper plate can be accommodated by simply cutting a hole with a scissors or crossed slices (e.g., an xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d) with a knife in the middle of the paper plate.
In the preferred embodiment the fixture is made entirely of corrugated fiberboard (aka corrugated cardboard) and, except for two rubber bands, requires no fasteners (e.g., glue, tape, or staples). The fixture weighs approximately two ounces. All unassembled parts can be laid flat so as to take up minimal storage space. The fixture is comprised of two main parts; a grippable cylindrical assembly which supports both a beverage container and a plate support platform, and a plate support platform which fits tightly over the upper end of the cylindrical assembly.